Busman's Honeymoon

Concluding my survey of Sayers, I've finally arrived at Busman's Honeymoon. Starting with a series of letters describing Peter and Harriet's wedding, including a particular fun bit where they contrive to avoid Wimsey's appallingly snobbish sister-in-law's attempts to remodel the entire event to her own liking, the mystery proper begins with the Wimseys' decision to spend their honeymoon at Tallboys, a house Harriet has loved from childhood and which Peter has now purchased from a certain Mr Noakes.

Upon arrival at Tallboys, Bunter and the Wimseys find the house locked and dark with the housekeeper unaware of the change of ownership. Extracting the spare keys from Miss Twitterton, Noakes' niece, Peter and Harriet try to make the house more hospitable, only to be stymied by unswept chimneys and failing oil stoves and a general lack of order. Leaving the details for the next morning, Peter scrubs himself under the scullery pump before heading up to bed.
( More... )